Читать книгу Set Down in Malice: A Book of Reminiscences онлайн

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During the next few months, having approached Messrs Greening &Co., the publishers, I was commissioned by them to write a book on MrHall Caine for their Eminent Writers of To-day series. The book being completed and published before the end of the year, I conceived the idea of writing another about MrBernard Shaw, and communicated with the dramatist, informing him of my intention and asking him if he would provide me with biographical details. This he consented to do, and on 19th December 1901 wrote to me from Piccard’s Cottage, Guildford, saying: “If you will let me know when you are coming to London, I will make an appointment with pleasure and give you what help I can.”

A few weeks later I went to Guildford, but I went there with a guilty secret hidden in my breast. The secret was this. My publishers did not care about issuing a complete book devoted to Bernard Shaw and all his works. I gathered, much to my amazement, that they did not think him of sufficient importance. The astounding idea was then suggested that half my book should be concerned with Bernard Shaw and the other half with MrGeorge Moore. Now, at the time of my visit to Guildford, I had not imparted this information to MrShaw. I did not anticipate that he would like the suggestion and I thought ssss1 it wiser to disclose it to him by word of mouth rather than by letter.